


The Last Time

by TableForThree_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Frottage, Het and Slash, Multi, mild bondage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-15
Updated: 2008-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-16 19:12:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4636959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TableForThree_Archivist/pseuds/TableForThree_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry wants a special present for his birthday-he wants to watch Ron and Hermione. He's shocked when they ask him to join in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Time

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Jonathan Andrew Sheen, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Table for Three](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Table_for_Three). When traffic and uploads slowed to a trickle, it became difficult to justify the hosting expenses. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in January 2015. I e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Table for Three collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/triofic/profile).  
> \--  
>  **Word Count:** 5370

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

 **Author's Notes:** **Word Count:** 5370  
**Category/Warnings:** Mild Bondage, Frottage, Het AND Slash  
**A/N:** This was _supposed_ to be for the Sixth Wave of [](http://community.livejournal.com/triofqf/profile)  
  
[ **triofqf** ](http://community.livejournal.com/triofqf/) and was due at the beginning of July. I had it written in time, but my beta and I were busy and couldn't get around to doing that until recently. I might have made more of an effort had the Mods not seemed to have abandoned the com. Thank you to the wonderful [](http://iamshadow.livejournal.com/profile)  
  
[](http://iamshadow.livejournal.com/)**iamshadow** for the surprisingly painless beta this time! ♥

This is my first ever attempt at writing explicit Trio. As it happens, it turned out basically Ron/Harry and Ron/Hermione at the same time, but I did my best!

* * *

  
I had to stop doing this.

I had to stop listening to them.

I knew it was wrong, but there I was again, approaching the door to Ron’s room. The little chink of light, falling into the hallway from inside the room, was beckoning to me.

Any time that they forgot to lock and silence the room was fortunate for me, but this was one of my luckier nights; when they were so consumed by their lust that they forgot to make sure the door was even closed properly. It was on those nights that I could sometimes manage to watch them as well as listen to them.

I followed the whispers and moans until I was standing just short of the beam of light. I stood with my back to the wall, listening to the sound of wet kisses, and of fabric brushing against skin before hitting the floor.

I heard them groan in unison as they fell onto the bed. At the sound of the bedsprings as they landed, I couldn't help but shift along the wall a little bit more. From that new angle, I could _just_ see them through the gap. I could watch them together.

They were both naked from the waist up, and Hermione was knelt between Ron’s legs. I moved a hand underneath my shirt to stroke my stomach and chest. I rubbed a thumb over my nipple in a small circle, and imagined it was him touching me as I focussed on his hands moving over her torso.

I had to bite my bottom lip hard to stop the whimper from escaping when I heard it… heard him.

The way he said “fuck” in that passionate whisper, when she grasped his cock through his jeans, made my own prick swell. I reached down and squeezed it briefly, relieving some of the pressure that was building there.

I had to be careful on nights like this. I could bring myself off within a few minutes if I wanted to. They weren’t even completely naked yet. But that wasn’t true for long.

Hermione lowered his zip and gripped the waistband of his jeans to pull them down his thighs. Ron lifted his hips when she pulled them over his arse, and I licked my lips when I saw the muscles tense in his legs. I imagined them wrapped around me, squeezing me around the waist as I fucked him.

My lip was going numb by this point due to the lack of blood. Even if I wasn’t biting down on it, I doubt there would have been much blood left to fill it, because an opportunity like this hadn’t presented itself in a while and I felt harder than I had in a long time.

Hermione tugged his underwear down next, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I unzipped my own jeans and reached into my boxers to stroke myself as she lowered her mouth onto him.

His mouth opened in a silent scream when she pulled her lips upwards and I imagined him taking me into his own mouth. I imagined crouching over his face and guiding my dick past his wet, hot lips whilst Hermione continued to work on him.  
He moaned and I thought about what it would feel like to have him moan around me while I fucked his mouth.

By now, my hand seemed to be moving of its own accord, speeding up and down my shaft; it was all too much, too soon. I couldn’t slow down. I couldn’t stop. I had to come.

I watched his face contorting in pleasure. I moved my fist to my mouth, biting down on it to give my lip a break, trying desperately not to make a noise, finally grunting as I spilled all over my hand and the inside of my underwear.

I slumped against the wall and, soon enough, the familiar feeling of guilt overwhelmed me. How could I do this to my two best friends? How could I keep doing it, knowing it was wrong?

I couldn’t bear to look at them once I’d found my release. It was easy to watch when that was all that mattered. It was easy to look at them when I couldn’t think about anything else. Once I was finished, however, reality came rushing back.

I was a pervert, observing my best friends in their most intimate moments. They’d be furious if they found out, and I really wouldn't blame them.

I wiped my hand on my jeans as I walked back to my room, closing the door tightly and casting a silencing charm to block out the grunting and groaning from the next room. Not bothering to cast a cleaning charm on myself (I deserved to be uncomfortable), I threw myself onto my bed and buried my face in the pillow, vowing never to do it again.

That was the last time. Just like the time before.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

I woke up with my shorts stiff and stuck to me. I decided that maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to leave the cleaning charm; the mess served as an immediate reminder of the night before, and did nothing to smother my shame.

I waddled to the shower and, after the painful removal of my underwear, stepped in to wash. I grew hard as I remembered even more about the night before, but I refused to touch myself. I tried sticking my head under the water to drown out the memory of their lovemaking, but it didn’t work. I stood under the spray, letting it beat down on my neck and back, for as long as I could before the water chilled.

I dressed swiftly and made my way to the kitchen. I knew that they were already awake because I could smell something cooking. I braced myself and pushed the door open.

Hermione was standing over the cooker, pushing scrambled egg around the frying pan. Ron was behind her, arms around her waist, and trying to distract her with kisses to her neck. Hermione giggled and used the wooden spoon to swat Ron on the arm. She turned her head to look at him and spotted me hovering near the door. She rolled her eyes and gently elbowed Ron in the stomach.

“Morning, mate,” he said, cheerily.

A couple of years ago, I’d have been shocked to see him so cheerful that early in the morning. To be honest, I’d have been shocked to see him _up_ that early in the morning, if he didn’t have to be anywhere. It had been different since he'd been with Hermione though. If she had to get up for work, he’d get up too. Even if that meant he slept on the couch for a few hours after she’d left.

Surprisingly, working for his brother meant that he got given a lot more time off than another person would have, especially lately. George had been trying for a long time to convince Ron that he didn’t need him to help out at the shop anymore. He had Lee for that… amongst other things. He'd been encouraging Ron to pursue his dream to be an Auror for months now, but Ron was reluctant to leave him.

“You’ll want to sort something else for your breakfast,” Ron continued, “since Hermione’s making ours.”

He stuck two fingers in his mouth and pretended to vomit.

“Oh, ha ha," she mutter sarcastically. "Always the comedian.”

He smirked and kissed her on the cheek.

“Don't worry, love, you’ve come a long way from mushrooms in the forest.”

She rolled her eyes yet again, and turned to beam at me.

“Do you want some, Harry?”

“Yeah, thanks,” I smiled, and sat down at the dining table.

A few minutes later, Hermione placed a plate loaded with scrambled egg and toast in front of me, and they both sat opposite. I shoved a fork-full or two of the egg into my mouth and listened as they discussed a new Wheeze that George was testing at the shop.

It was still strange sometimes, to see them so comfortable with each other, after years of being the "go-between". At first, it had been a relief to have them finally admit the feelings they had for each other. However, as time went on, and I realised that I was probably in love with Ron, it got harder to see them together… without me.

I loved Hermione, but I wasn’t in love with her. It’s not that I was gay; I found men and women almost equally attractive… bi-sexual, some might say. Over the last few years, Hermione had actually grown to be quite beautiful. That’s part of the reason why it was so hot to watch them together.

But mostly, it was about Ron.

Since the day I met them, it had generally been the three of us… together. I wasn’t used to being that alone and isolated anymore. I was used to having them around. I was used to having their attention. I wanted them close by… which is why I agreed to move into a house with them in the first place.

The times it hadn’t been the three of us (for whatever reason), it was just me and him. It was _Harry and Ron_. It was _us_ , because we were best friends.

He was my best friend, my first friend. We’d always been together, since day one, since the day my life started, really… because I wouldn't call what I had with the Dursleys a life. He’d done absolutely everything for me, more than even he realised. He was the person who taught me exactly what it meant to love, and to be loved.

On the other hand, I knew that being with Hermione made him happy. I knew it would break his heart not to be with her, not to be _Ron and Hermione_ , and I knew that she’d never cope without him either. I wanted them to be happy, I truly did, but I wanted it to be _us_ again.

But there was no us anymore. Just me. And them. Because they were a couple, an _us_ , and there was no room for me. I just wanted to be part of it again. But not just with anyone. With them. With him.

"Any ideas, Harry?”

I realised that I’d been staring, my mouth hanging open and my fork half way to my lips for a full minute or so. I’d completely lost track of the conversation and had no idea what Ron had just asked me.

“What do you want to do for your birthday?” Ron repeated, when I stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

“Oh, nothing,” I shrugged. “Just a quiet night in.”

“Are you sure?” Hermione asked.

“I’m sure. It’ll be all over the Prophet if I do anything too exciting. I’d rather just stay at home, no fuss.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The next few days passed very slowly.

I kept the promise I’d made to myself; I hadn’t watched them again. True, I’d gone longer than this without watching them before, but now it was getting harder and harder to be near them and not think about it. In fact, I did my best to be around them as little as possible. I couldn’t look at them, together, touching each other (however innocently), without thinking about what I knew they'd be up to later that night.

I worked as late as I could each day, sat with them just long enough to eat dinner, and turned in early every night, claiming that I was tired and had another early start in the morning.

I routinely silenced my bedroom door at night to block out everything else, just in case I was enticed and gave in to the temptation.

Still, I may not have been watching them while I touched myself, but I definitely thought about it. I couldn't help it. The truth was, I usually retired to my room for a not-so-leisurely wank, even after such a short time around them.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

My birthday arrived, and I was given strict instructions to arrive home on time, because they had "something special" planned.

I’d asked for a quiet night in, but I was beginning to regret it. I’d have to sit with them all night. I couldn’t turn in early, because they knew that I’d booked the first of August off a long time ago. Not that they’d have bought a simple excuse like that on my birthday anyway.

I closed my eyes and focussed on the front garden of our house, crossing my fingers that they had planned me a surprise party. There’d be more people there to distract me, and it wouldn’t be as hard… the situation that is.

I landed a few metres away from the front door, and before I could even get my wand out, Hermione opened it.

“Happy Birthday,” she said, throwing her arms around me and kissing me on the cheek.

“Thanks,” I said, giving her a squeeze.

“Are you okay?” she asked, pulling away. “We haven’t seen you much this past week.”

“Yeah, there’s just been a lot of work to do at the office, that’s all.” I prayed that the heat suddenly flooding my face didn't give anything away.

“Well, we’ll have to make sure you have fun tonight,” she grinned, “to make up for it."

I tried to walk into the house but she moved to block my way.

“What are you doing?” I asked, suspiciously.

“Ron hasn’t finished getting the place ready yet, so I have to make you wear this before you come in,” she chuckled, holding up a maroon scarf.

“But it’s warm out,” I replied, frowning.

She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

“As a blindfold.”

“What are you planning?” I asked, apprehensively.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll just have to find out,” she grinned, and moved behind me to tie the scarf around my eyes. “Is that okay? It's not pressing on your glasses too much is it? Can you see anything?”

“No, it's fine. I can't see anything.”

“Great. Come on then.” She grabbed my shoulders and steered me into the living room. “Are you ready yet, Ron?”

“One second,” he said, and I heard the whisper of a charm. Hermione removed my cloak as we waited, and I heard the swish of fabric as she threw it onto a nearby piece of furniture.

When Ron declared he was ready a minute or so later, I reached up to untie the scarf from behind my head, but he grabbed both of my hands.

“No,” he said quietly. “Leave it on for a minute. Sit here.”

He pulled me forward and guided me into a chair, and I was sure it didn’t belong in the sitting room. It felt more like a wooden chair from the dining room.

I tried to settle into a more comfortable position, and noticed that my ankles were stuck to the wooden legs so that I couldn’t move them.

“What the fuck?” I half laughed, nervously.

“Relax,” she said, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Do you trust us?”

There was something in her tone of voice that made me even more nervous.

“Of course,” I answered, swallowing hard. “But I don’t know what…”

“We know what you want, Harry,” she said quietly, leaning in so that her mouth was next to my ear.

“What do you mean?” I asked, anxiously.

“I think you know what I mean,” she sighed. “We’ve only done it this way so that we can make sure you're listening to us, to make sure you understand. You can’t keep avoiding this, Harry, avoiding us.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I huffed. I reached down awkwardly to feel around my ankles, trying to slacken whatever bonds were holding me. There was nothing there; it seemed to be magical, like a Sticking Charm.

“Fine, if you want me to say it out loud then I’ll say it,” she said, but she hesitated for a moment before continuing. “We know you’ve been watching us.”

I froze, terrified. How was I going to explain myself out of that one?

“I… I don’t…”

“We’ve seen you, Harry.”

This time it was Ron speaking, and I was glad that half my face was covered because I could feel my face burning, and I was sure that I’d pass out if I had to look him in the eye.

A few minutes of silence passed, the only noise a pounding of blood in my ears as I frantically tried to come up with some sort of plausible excuse. I didn’t know what to say; if they’d seen me, I couldn’t possibly deny it.

“I’m sorry,” I finally whispered, slumping in the chair as much as I could, hanging my head in shame.

I felt Hermione’s hand 's wrapping around me as she bent to place a kiss against my temple.

“Look, you don’t have to say sorry.”

“I do… I shouldn’t have… I…”

“Shhh,” she whispered, her hand still caressing my head. “It’s okay.”

She cleared her throat. There were a few minutes of complete silence. I knew that they were communicating silently, like they do so often when they are wondering whether or not they should tell me something.

I could feel a bead of sweat running down the back of my neck as I waited for their next move.

“Ron thinks it’s because you love me,” she said, finally. “But we know the real reason, don’t we Harry?” Her breath was tickling the little hairs in my ears. “Ron is finding it a little difficult to believe me, but we know that _I’m_ not the one you want, am I?”

My heart was beating wildly, and my breath was coming in short gasps as I began to panic. What if I'd ruined everything? What if they hated me?

I heard a noise and suddenly two hands were on my knees as Ron knelt in front of me.

“Is it true, Harry?” he asked in a hushed voice.

I nodded my head absently, not completely sure why I wasn’t trying to deny it. But it was Ron, and I couldn’t lie to him.

“You love me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat as I finally found my voice. “I’m so sorry.”

“What for?”

I didn’t know what the correct answer to that was. I couldn’t think of anything that didn’t sound completely ridiculous.

I felt his hands slowly moving up my thighs, and he shuffled closer to me so that he could settle in between my legs. He leant forwards and I felt his breath ghost over my cheek. I barely noticed Hermione moving away from me. I couldn’t breathe.

“Is this what you want?” he asked, brushing his own cheek gently against mine  
.  
I whimpered as he pressed a chaste kiss against my jaw. 

“Don’t,” I yelped, and he pulled away quickly.

“Don’t what?”

“Hermione,” was the only coherent thing that I managed to whisper. “You… you two…”

I felt her hand touch my shoulder.

“Listen to me,” she said, firmly. “I love Ron. I love him enough to give him what he needs, and I know he needs you.”

“But… but I…”

“Shhh, let me finish,” she interrupted. “I don’t think you understand, Harry. I know Ron loves me, but he loves you too. And because it’s you, I’m willing to share him. We’ve discussed it, a lot, and we’ve decided that this is the best thing for everyone.”

“Share him?” I squeaked.

She didn’t answer but I felt Ron’s hands leaving my thighs as he brought them up to untie the scarf from around my head. I closed my eyes as the material fell away, terrified to open them and find them laughing because it was some cruel joke.

“Harry,” he said, and I made a strange whining noise in the back of my throat. He stroked his hands down both of my arms. “Harry, look at me,” he said. I gulped, and forced my eyes open. Ron’s piercing blue ones were just a few inches away, and the look in them told me that it was definitely not a joke. “Is this what you want?”

“Is it what _you_ want?” I breathed.

“I want Hermione,” he nodded gently, his voice shaking. “But I… I want you too.”

I turned my head to look at Hermione, unable to believe what I was hearing. She was watching us and biting her lip.

“And you… you’re okay with this?”

“I love you, Harry,” she smiled, her eyes shining. “Maybe not in the same way that I love Ron or he loves you, but I do… and I know that you feel the same. I know that it would make everybody happy if you were a part of this. The three of us, we’ve been together for a long time… why should _this_ be any different?”

“Would it make you happy, Harry?” Ron asked quietly, drawing my attention back to him.

The look in his eyes sent me speechless once again.

He sat staring at me for a few seconds. He alternated between staring into my eyes and glancing at my lips. I licked them nervously, and he leant forwards until we were just a breath apart. He looked to me for a final reassurance, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.

I leant forwards and crushed my lips against his. One of my hands instinctively flew up to grab at his hair, bringing him as close as possible.

His body was between my legs, forcing them apart to an almost painful distance, and my ankles were still bonded to the chair legs, but I couldn’t have cared less.

He coaxed my tongue into his mouth, and I nearly choked on a gasp as he sucked the length of it. I moaned involuntarily when his teeth grazed my lower lip, and he broke the kiss, his chest rising heavily as he panted.

He sat back on his haunches and tipped his head back. Only then did I notice that Hermione had moved behind Ron and was kissing and sucking on the side of his neck. I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed with his continuous swallowing, and I longed to lick him there. I leant forwards but I struggled to get very far with my legs fixed to the chair.

“Could we take this off?” I asked, desperately, as Hermione’s hand disappeared up the front of Ron’s shirt, lifting it to display the trail of ginger hair leading into his trousers.

Ron leaned sideways eagerly, stretching his hand out to retrieve his wand from the floor. He raised it to release the magical bonds, but Hermione’s hand covered his and she lowered it.

“No. We’re going to give him what he wants,” she smiled wickedly, whispering into Ron’s ear loud enough for me to hear. She pulled on his hair, turning his face towards her, and covered his mouth with her own.

I watched, transfixed, as Hermione slipped her tongue between his lips. I watched Ron suck on it like he’d done to mine just moments ago, and a jolt of arousal shot to my cock as I recalled the sensation.

I reached down to press my hand against the growing erection through the fabric of my jeans.

“Oh, we almost forgot,” Hermione said, breaking the kiss and glancing at me. Ron was still grasping his wand loosely and Hermione took it from him.

She gave her wand a swish and flick and the scarf was lifted from the ground and was looping itself around my wrist. Before I fully realised what was happening, I had both wrists tied behind the chair.

"First, you can watch us Harry. We know how much you enjoy it."

My eyes went wide and my breathing quickened. It seemed to please her, and she went back to plundering Ron's mouth.

Hermione wrapped both arms around Ron and began unbuttoning his shirt as they kissed. As each new bit of skin was revealed, her fingers brushed across it. When his shirt was completely open, she moved a hand to the front of his jeans and pressed firmly with the heel of her hand.  
Ron moaned, and my attention was drawn to their mouths again. There was a tiny space between their faces, Ron's eyes were half closed and he was panting. Hermione was smiling mischievously. Ron's head fell backwards onto her shoulder as she rubbed her palm over his rather impressive bulge.  
"I don't think you're the only one who enjoys you watching us, Harry," she said, breathily. 

Hermione unzipped his fly and manoeuvred her hand inside both his jeans and boxers to stroke him. Ron bit his lip. He looked so absolutely dishevelled that I kept switching my gaze from his crotch to his face, not wanting to miss anything.

My cock was growing impossibly hard in my pants. I squirmed helplessly in my seat, growing desperate the to relieve some of the tension there.

"Please…" I heard myself say quietly.

Hermione glanced up and smiled, but this time it wasn't naughty or playful; it was a kind smile.

"Look at him," she whispered into the side of Ron's face. "Look at how much he wants this… how much he wants you."

Ron lifted his head tentatively, and he met my eyes through heavy lids. I'd never seen anything so arousing in all my life, and I had to struggle not to come without even being touched.

The next moment, Ron let out a low throaty moan and threw his head back onto Hermione's shoulder. Ron's body slumped against her as her hand slowed, and she pressed a kiss to his temple.

"You're okay?" Hermione asked him.

"Hmm," Ron answered, as she shuffled from behind him, guiding him to lie on the floor. Then, she turned to look at me.

"All right there, Harry?" she said.

I didn't answer, because I couldn't. I just thrashed about in my seat as much as I could, trying to release my hands from their bonds.

"Do you want me to let you go?" She laughed, not unkindly.

"Yes," I hissed, still struggling and staring at Ron. He was propped up on his elbows now, watching me, with his shirt and trousers hanging open.

Hermione picked Ron's wand from the floor and gave it a simple flick. I immediately felt the tension disappear from both my wrists and ankles, and fell forwards onto my hands and knees.

I crawled across to Ron, keeping eye contact all the time, until I was leaning over him.

Thinking back later on, I wondered what the hell had come over me to make me so bold, but I had to touch him.

I reached out and ran a hand up his chest slowly, from his navel to his shoulder. Ron looked down and followed my hand with his eyes, before meeting mine once again.

Then, suddenly, we were kissing again, and I'd never felt anything like it before. Ron's tongue was pushing into my mouth, stroking along my own, and he was moaning against my lips. His hands were tugging at my shirt, trying desperately to undo the buttons before pushing it off my shoulders.

I felt Ron's hand settle on my waist, and drift along the waistband of my trousers, before stopping at my fly. He pulled back, panting heavily, and glanced behind me. I assumed Hermione had nodded her reassurance, because then he looked back at me.

"All right, Harry?" he whispered nervously.

I swallowed, and nodded.

He opened the button on my fly with his thumb and index finger, and then lowered the zip very slowly. His eyes flicked back and forth between my zip and my face, as though he was expecting me to change my mind at any second.

He pulled them down just a fraction, and then pulled the front of my boxers down so that my cock could escape over the waistband. He stared at it for what felt like minutes, without doing anything.

"Ron," I whispered when I couldn't take any more. My voice cracked. "Please."

He met my eyes again as he wrapped his fingers around me, giving me a few long, slow strokes before stopping again suddenly. I only had time to give a small groan of protest, because he moved quickly, pushing his own jeans and boxers down to his knees to reveal his cock, already fully hard again.

He pushed my jeans down too, pulling me into a kiss with his other hand at the back of my neck. I fell on top of him as his fingers held my hair tightly. His other hand had moved to my arse, pulling me against him as he wrapped his ankles around mine as best he could with our jeans still tangled between us. He thrust up against me, and my gasp broke the kiss. I unconsciously pushed back, panting and moaning against his mouth as we writhed together on the floor.

"Tell me," he whispered, slightly breathless. "Tell me this is what you want."

"Want this," I answered automatically. "Want this, want you."

Something made a sound to the right, and we froze for a second, our heads instinctively turning towards it.

For a couple of minutes, I'd completely forgot about Hermione. But there she was, naked from the waist up, one hand caressing her left breast, rubbing a thumb around the nipple. Her skirt was bunched up around her waist and she was rubbing furiously at her clit with the other hand, her knickers pushed to one side.

" _Fuck_ ," Ron shouted.

"Herm… Hermione… oh _God_ ," I shouted hoarsely, as I came between us.

I tried not to collapse on top of Ron as he continued, his feet flat on the floor, knees bent, lifting me just slightly off the ground with each thrust of his hips. And then, he let out a low moan and collapsed back, still holding my body against him.

I realised that he had come too, and that he'd coated me with it. I buried my face in his neck, slightly dizzy at that thought. I didn't hear Hermione after that, I only felt her lie down next to him a few minutes later as he moved one arm to curl around her back. The only thing I was aware of was Ron's heart thudding within his chest, and his hand running up and down my spine soothingly.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, but it still sounded loud after such a long period of complete silence. Her hand joined Ron's on my back.

I nodded, and blindly moved my hand to touch her in reassurance. As I ran my hand down her side, I met Ron's hand there. He quickly entwined our fingers and gave them a squeeze. I squeezed them back and smiled into his neck.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Later, I lay cuddled into Ron's side, my head resting on his shoulder.

I couldn't sleep. I was too busy concentrating on his warm breath against my forehead as he breathed deeply, on the slow beat of his heart beneath my fingertips, and on his strong arm, wrapped around my back, holding me closer to him.

I opened my eyes to see Hermione was wide-awake too, propped up on her elbow on Ron's opposite side. She gave me a kind smile, and glanced at the beautiful man between us. She kissed her fingers, reaching over to press them to my mouth gently so that she wouldn't have to lean across Ron's body and risk waking him. I kissed them too, and returned the smile. She mouthed 'Happy Birthday' and settled on her back, closing her eyes with a soft sigh.

It was then that I realised… that night last week had been the last time. It was the last time that I had to stand by and watch while they loved each other, the last time that it was just me, because now they loved me too.

It was Ron and Hermione, _and_ Harry.

It was _us_.  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story archived at [Table for Three](http://www.triofic.com) \- <http://www.triofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=289>


End file.
